Sorry it’s been so long that I’ve been offline. I needed to upgrade the platform I was using since the previous platform was not expecting the heavy load I was creating with my photos and posts. It should be better, but there are a few things that still need to be worked on such as the search function. Please bear with me.

But I’m back and I’m a little bit different. I’ve been exercising regularly and started hiking more in Japan. I climbed Mt. Fuji last month, and it felt great. But it wasn’t until I watched a documentary that I decided to change. “Forks over Knives” presented some data that I couldn’t shake out of my head. That cancer cell growth was promoted by animal protein. It didn’t specify the types of cancer, but it was hard to deny the real correlation based on research that scientists had conducted. I have a strong family history of cancer and I thought that if by simply changing my diet, I could prevent cancer in me, then why not? And it’s not a profound shift since I have been eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, albeit with a main component of fish or chicken and the occasional steak or burger. Since watching the movie, though, I’ve switched my menu planning process from “main animal protein (i.e. fish, chicken or pork) and what side dishes to have with it” to “what main vegetable dish and what other sides to have with it.” However, the difficult part comes in with dairy products. Reading labels on commercial products, it is everywhere. Which is why I am slowly changing and perhaps may not be able to be a true vegan, but it’s a start and one with a good trajectory, I hope. I can only hope since I don’t know for sure if what I’m doing is worthwhile, but if I feel good about it and stay healthy, then I know it’s working. My husband asked me, “Why change now if it’s been working so far, after 45 years?” The answer is that I don’t know if it has been working so far. And the important thing for me now is not the past 45 years, but the next 45 years. I want it to count.

Thus, for my midlife crisis, I am not going to buy a fast, sporty car or have an affair with a young, gorgeous Matt Bomer-type guy or get plastic surgery to lift those saggy butt cheeks. No, I am going to pivot my eating habits to a more plant-based one and have fun with it. I’ll try to make it as delicious as possible. You won’t miss the meat!

For more information on the benefits of a plant-based diet, with a side of humor, check out Dr. Michael Greger's video.

Now that my daughter is back at college, the house is empty again, but for me and my mom since the hubby is away on business. And when it's hot and humid, the last thing you feel like doing is cooking over a hot stove. So for lunch, I needed something quick and simple with what was in the refrigerator: leftover rice, a big jar of kim chee and eggs. I also had some tired looking cilantro, but the leaves were still green. What the heck, I chopped them up stems and all and threw them on top. A sunnyside up egg over hot rice drizzled with soy sauce is often my go-to quick lunch and sometimes dinner, but this time, with the kim chee pairing and the cilantro, it was absolutely delicious. Eaten Thai-style with a fork in the left hand and spoon in my right, it hit the spot. This fast food lunch was ready in minutes and polished off in no time!

When frying your egg, use a generous amount of oil and fry until the whites just turn white, but the yolk is still runny. Sprinkle some black pepper over. Lay the egg on the rice and break open the yolk over the rice and then add soy sauce. Something magical happens when runny yolk meets soy sauce and is spooned over rice.

Make sure you get some spicy kim chee and cilantro in that one bite. Enjoy!